The Face Behind The Mirror
by CathyML82
Summary: This is just the beginning of where I started within this famous story. I'm basically telling the version of how I WANTED the story to turn out.
1. Default Chapter

So like a fine painting produced from a brilliant artist was that young chorus girl turned star over a period of one night as she sat before that mirror idly brushing her hair with a golden handled comb and gazing upon her reflection with dazed to near lifeless eyes that held within them dreams and encounters that not a one from the Paris Opera would dare believe. Ah yes, the Phantom had struck at the core and took the life of a naive Christine and molded that meek personality to near prima donna status with skillful manipulation and yet with complete adoration of that familiar face. Such a lovely face whose pale features cast upon every man a longing to protect her and hold her fragile form within their arms. Especially that young noble fellow they call Raoul. Raoul. A punishment dealt to the already burdened form of the angel of music sitting on the opposite side of the mirror intently watching Christine preparing herself for a performance. A performance he knew well that his lovely bird, Christine, would do glorified justice.  
"Christine........angel...." The very low baritoned whisper of the Phantom's hypnotic voice slowly raptured the air with multitudes of beauty as it caressed into the air and past that mirror to his fascination named Christine. Ah such a voice belonged with the Heaven's choir singing loud for a God who had long ago forsaken the deformed face of that Phantom....that Erik. The brightness of blue eyes, glittering like the gem sapphires, arose to life and put animation upon Christine's face as within her ears that voice enveloped itself and briskly wrapped around her heart to tug at her veins as if to make herself and that lovely sound as one. To be one with an angel she believed her beloved father to have sent to her allowed Christine the right to imagine all her childhood dreams once again. To bring them to life once more as she had once thought them buried within that grave her father now lay at peace within.  
To her slipper clad feet she stood slowly with liquid elegance as her hand dropped to her side and allowed fingers the releasing of that comb to gently flutter down toward the ground, quickly forgotton there as she stared with intensity upon her reflection to, perhaps, see a presence somewhere that contained that voice. She had not seen her mysterious teacher before which was rather odd for he seemed such as a refined man who would surely have nothing to hide and would surely not be so modest of his many talents for he was, as Christine had told herself many a time, a man of vast experience and knowings. Yet no vision of him did appear before her eyes save for every once and while when she swore inwardly that she fleetingly viewed shadows upon the walls of a tall figure cloaked in black as she was rehearsing or performing upon the Opera's elaborate stage. One of Christine's tiny hands lifted toward the glass of that mirror slowly to press her open palm longingly upon the cool surface, permitting a trance-like silence to take her into that world she had learned to look forward to ever since she first heard the sweet, melodic whisper in the air of that angel.  
"Christine, sweet Christine so child-like and naive, you dare give me the same fascination you have rewarded that meddling Raoul just an hour ago when he was within your very dressing room bestowing upon you the redness of roses he so disgustingly compared with the color of your lips and the softness of your skin." Erik's piercing eyes of light steel blue now lie emotionless with grief and anger as he looked past his pupil toward the very spot near the door upon a brown oak table where those twelve roses sat perfuming the air with the scent of Raoul's foolish want of Christine. Yes but those flowers could be likened to the fragile persona that was his singing bird could they not? Such beauty....he would never have.  
"I forbid you, child, from this day forth to have contact with him at all. Your mind needs suitable lacking of thoughts of him, child, and I must insist that as long as you wish me to grant you more teachings of proper vocal development you must also turn away this......man...." Erik choked back the want to call him an utter fool as his voice boomed forth past the mirror toward the frail woman slowly backing away with fear toward the door as if she meant to turn and run from the thunderous sound. Such a sight was that everlasting fear upon Christine's face that put within the Phantom's being a sense of guilt that forced his Heavenly voice to lower once more to civil mannerisms. "...Christine...Angel....You fail to realize, child, my only wish in this world is for you to be happy and successful. As of late I have begun to believe that you are greatly melancholy with something that maybe far beyond my control now."  
Erik spoke of his burning fuse that shot forth the stinging blow of his inhuman anger that riled upward so easily these days but more so as he made note that Raoul was posing himself between he and Christine far too closely and too often for his liking. How he wished that he could dispose of this Raoul without harming the innocent heart that was his prima donna. Prima donna, indeed. Still after months of working in secrecy with Christine he found that she needed, with each moment, a firm word or lecture to somehow build forth the astounding loss of confidence she had as a result of elongated sadness. How he hated to be firm and harsh with the woman he had in such a short time grown to love to amounts most high yet he found if he didn't show her his harsh ability that she would begin to flutter away. Flutter away to "him". How Raoul displeased him.  
In the short amount of silence that gave Erik this rush of thoughts upon Raoul's steady rising demise conjured by his own morbid inclinations it was the sweetness of a soprano voice that rang from silken lips hued rose red that brought him swifly to the there and now of the moment, failing to have noticed the slow steps of Christine's return to the front of the mirror and her narrowed gaze of wonder that could only be projected to herself at the moment for he feared, yes feared, to show himself to her. But he would show! Oh yes he would most definately show himself to wisk Christine away should Raoul continue forth with his voicings of love and marriage to his Christine.  
"Even in your harshest words, Angel, your words ring like a peaceful song of contentment and care that none except my father and R-...." She paused abruptly as she nearly uttered the name she had been forbidden to say while Erik, still watching Christine behind that mirror with love, suddenly tensed his entire skeletal yet elegant form with immense anger willing itself to be released upon the world with fierce conviction. "..None except my Father have shown, Angel. How could someone so beautiful put me in a state of melancholy?" Erik parted his parched lips as Christine spoke and inaudibly released a painful sigh of longing to release the lever of the mirror and allow that lovely creature on the other side to come forth and slip into his old arms.  
"My only wish, Angel, is to see the magnificence that lays behind the beauty of that voice. Please, I beg you to come forth and visit my eyes." Christine now pressed both of her hands upon the mirror in such a pleading way that broke Erik's heart all over again for her. He loved her as no other man would love her at all. Not even the love of that boy Raoul could compare to the constant pounding of Erik's heart that rhythmically beated rapidly every time he was near to Christine. Upon that moment of imploring from her he loved her a little bit more as his intelligent eyes fell upon the halo of light upon her tresses of brown ringlets falling upon her slender shoulders to whisper softly upon the silken robe of ivory put upon her lithe form and permitted his thin lips a small smile of love to appear as he outlined her face. A lovely face he thought to himself as he raked his gaze upon that small nose wrinkled so now with urgency to see something she was better of being ignorant to, watched her satin lips as she bit lightly upon her bottom lip's flesh, and took great pleasure in the sapphire glitter of her eyes. Such love from such a person destined never to love in his days and he would forever curse God for being so uncompassionate to him.  
"When the time is right, Christine, I shall show myself but, alas, the time for such viewings is cruel and undetermined" Erik spoke now in a voice of complete softness that Christine had to struggle to hear "For now, child, heed my warnings that I have offered on this night and stay away from your young nobleman."  
The silence that suddenly rose from nothing was startling to Christine yet the main denotation that her Angel, for now, had left her to her thoughts but, more correctly, left her to ponder upon those warnings issued to her. Christine knew plainly from the easy rousings of Erik's anger that she should be highly wary of the eerie disgust and calm had in her angel's tones as he spoke of Raoul and his frequent visits to her not to mention the dozen roses he offered to her arms before, and sometimes after, every performance she dealt upon the stage. Within her heart she realized that Erik would not stand by and allow Raoul to easily steal her attentions and focusings upon his teachings but how did she banish such an old childhood mate from her life so easily as Erik wanted her to? She couldn't. Or wouldn't she? Either way she was slowly beginning to fear the wrath of an unseen man if she didn't and had begun to fright from the wonderings of what would become of her if she did relinquish her connection to Raoul.   
Ah but such conflicting emotions she couldn't deal with now as she slowly turned away from the reflection of herself in the mirror to bend and retrieve to her that golden comb upon the floor she used to resume fixing her cascading locks of brown that blanket her shoulders in preparing herself for the performance of Carmen. How silly she thought herself to play the role of a gypsy woman who gave herself so easily over to love when she, herself, had trouble even understanding the meaning. She sighed softly as she sat herself down before the mirror once more and cleaned her mind of any thought but the coming performance as she parted her lips to begin that awkwardly beautiful vocalization that had first brought that angel to her.  
  
End Part 1  
  



	2. "I am Your Angel"

The performance of the Paris Opera's portrayal of the flamboyant gypsy woman Carmen went surprisingly wonderful that night. The audience fell in love with Christine all over again and all of those seated in the audience stood to their feet for her when the final curtain call occured and she stepped out to beautifully curtsey in respect toward the never-ending music of thousands of hands clapping together in adoring applaude. The only person who didn't stand, nor did he clap, was Erik who sat in his ever reserved position in Box Five looking down upon his angel with a slight smile formed upon his thin lips. He would shower her with praise in due time but for now he slowly stood to his feet and, with the help of a secret door that only he had access to, vanished from Box Five as if he didn't attend the performance for the evening at all. Yet everyone in the opera management knew that he did attend for he left behind the wicked beauty of his presence that gave him infamous notoriety with everyone associated with the Paris Opera. Especially the silly Ballet girls and their rather humorous stories of him they uttered when they thought no one would hear. Little did they know that the Phantom heard and knew all within the esteemed walls of that building.  
After his abrupt vacancy of Box five his sole intentions were to visit his Angel, Christine, whom would soon retire to her dressing room to remove her costume and gaudy stage make-up, why they made her look paler than she already was he'd never know, and prepare herself to return to whatever Parisian flat she had saught out now that her wages were considerably higher due to easy instilled fear he placed within the managers if they didn't increase her pay. Erik wove his way through many a secret and dark, dank corridor that would lead him to the very mirror and dressing room he first saw Christine appear in. To think that once the very dressing room he now frequented often was one area he had once avoided due to one very horrid, to say the least, woman who believed her voice could make the angels weep. La Carlotta was that diva's name who, in the experienced opinion of Erik, sounded quite like a shrill seal during mating season everytime she opened her mouth to attempt a magnificent aria. If it was one person, besides the fool Raoul, who raked fully upon his sanity it was Carlotta and her bird strut upon the stage for the woman truly believed herself a superb actress indeed. It was actually quite humorous now that Erik thought upon it but, nevertheless, he was rid of La Carlotta for the time being. How sad that she had come down with a sudden "ailment" that the doctors couldn't quite put their finger on.  
From afar Erik could see the light of Christine's dressing room reflecting off the two sided mirror with brilliance to light the darkness of the narrow corridor he traveled through. The very sight of that welcoming light quickened his steps upon the ground to allow the sound of his shoes upon the floor below him to give off a louder click in a echo around him. Oh if all such bright lights were as welcoming to him and as well offered to him as the light that drove him with anxious intent forward until near enough to shuffle his feet to hushed steps until they ceased before that mirror, opening his vision to the coziness of Christine's dressing room. Yet any such fine spirit entering Erik's body with happiness to see and speak with Christine intimately again were vanquished into a million pieces as the coldness of his eyes narrowed with dangerous anger as his vision was displeased with a sight he had not expected to see there. Sitting so elegantly in his over paid suit of gleaming black was Raoul in all his handsome splendor that nearly made Erik pull back the level of the mirror with murderous thoughts.  
Raoul was every well to do woman's dream of a husband. He stood tall and proud with his head held high and his walk in a masculine strut that was far worse than La Carlotta's parade upon the stage. His features were dark yet so alluring that when he walked into a room and smiled his pearly white smile so bright and friendly every head would turn to gaze upon him with envy. Yet it was always an envy that everyone would forget once they spoke with Raoul for, even with conversation, Raoul was no idiot yet quite eloquent with his words. Perhaps that was what irked Erik more than anything. Competition. Though Raoul didn't yet know that he was falling prey to Erik's foul torrents of anger and hate that was not too soon to simmer at any present time. The only thing Erik could not compete with, or so he believed he couldn't, was the dashing good looks Raoul innately became blessed with. Raoul smile was as bright as the rays of the sun in spring yet more so tempting and kinder that brightened liquid eyes of constant darkness that never showed ill will toward anyone and, in Erik's firm belief, were innocent to most things he, himself, was accustomed to such as hate and anger.  
Erik glared hard in silence at the nobleman's figure resting in a chair and became increasingly tempted to dispose of him then and there were it not for the sudden twist of the dressing room door's handle and fluid entrance of Christine into the picture. Her presence put him at a small amount of ease yet not quite enough to drive out that ache to wrap skeleton digits around Raoul's neck to squeeze the life out of him. In fact Christine's sudden arrival ironically heightened that murdering want to show his singing bird the lasting effect of his actions should his warnings proceed to go unheeded. Such actions, though, would be put off with Christine's notation of Raoul within her dressing room.  
The glittering sapphire of Christine's eyes widened with fear upon Raoul yet he seemed not to be aware of her sudden horror at his presence nor did he seem to notice the way Christine's gaze drifted in rapid succession between himself and their reflections in the mirror, but Erik was well aware of Christine's discomfort and fright and, perhaps evilly, relished it in his dark silence. "Oh yes, Christine," he thought to himself, "fear what you cannot see and pray that I don't know when everything you do I shall always be made aware of and comment on with proper punishment. Ah, but punishment not for you, child, never for you but for your handsome friend who has yet to gather to his one tracked mind that you are far from interested in him courting you. Go ahead Christine, tell him that you wish never to lay your beautiful eyes upon him again."  
Raoul jumped to his feet and gave a polite bow to his childhood friend as soon as she entered into the room and flashed for Christine, in visible achings of love, a smile that put within Christine's heart a extra beat for she really did feel something for Raoul no matter how slight it was.  
"You, Christine, were wonderful tonight! You make me honored and proud to patron the Opera for talent such as your own only comes to those blessed by an angel." With Raoul's words so unknowingly spoken Christine had to visibly cringe at the word "angel" and inwardly pray in a soft mantra for Erik not to be close enough to see this untimely encounter.  
"You.......You flatter me, Raoul," She slowly moved past Raoul to set her lithe form down upon the soft cushioned seat before the mirror to now stare at the mere reflection of herself and Raoul, "But you really shouldn't be here right now I'm in a awful hurry to get myself home tonight, Raoul, for I'm extremely tired. As you can imagine such a demanding role costs a lot of energy to one's body." She now adverted her eyes away from his well refined features and manners to stare at herself deeply as if she could burn a hole through the mirror with that vacant stare and see for herself if her teacher lay watching with stifled anger.  
"Christine...." Raoul's voice was soft as he spoke her name which, in Christine's state of mind, amply confused her senses enough to have that small hand flutter to press against the mirror in habit.  
"Angel...."  
"What?" Raoul had slowly stepped forward to kneel at Christine's side with a look of confusion slowly beginning to surface upon his handsome countenance, "Angel? Christine what one earth are you talking about?" Sincerely upon his visage a expression of worry visited him on behalf of the trance-like Christine who suddenly looked upon Raoul and struggled to express an excuse for her lack of attentiveness to him. As she faltered over her thoughts to find words Raoul's hand had found a place to caress upon her cheek to steady and calm her and Christine, to Erik's utter dismay, did nothing to stop that touch from occuring.  
"I'm sorry Raoul what were you saying?" she spoke gently even as she dared to tilt her head to press her flawless cheek to his awaiting fingers and permitted her satin lips to form for Raoul a smile of pleasant means that gave the fuming Phantom watching with a sneer the impression that Christine's main priority was not yet fully upon him or her singing. In fact she seemed most willing to abandon her goals to disappear then and there with Raoul to live a life of marriage, balls, feasts and, last of all, children. Just the single thought of never seeing the beauty that was Christine dissipated Erik's anger into oblivion to be replaced with a unexpected fear and as Erik lingered upon that fear of betrayal of her he failed to hear the words exchanged between them and, before he could master a plan of interference, Christine had reluctantly agreed to have a celebration dinner with him in honor of her performance that night.  
"Then it is settled, Christine, I shall wait at the doors for you to present yourself and then we shall be on our way!" Raoul's face, as he spoke, now was aflame with boyish excitement upon the agreement of Christine instead of the usual refusal and he could hardly contain the brightness of his smile as he took her hands lovingly into his own to bend and place to each of them a row of kisses. "And thank you. Thank you Christine. I wait...." With those final words Raoul was dashing out of the door to alert the driver of his carriage of the change of plans for the evening, leaving Christine to her own bright smiles and forgetfulness of warnings voiced only a few short hours ago. How pitiful it all was suddenly to Erik as his heart thumped madly with anger and hurt. How utterly unaware he had become to his final decision. The ultimate choosing to now bestow upon Christine what he swore she'd never see. His slender hand rose to graze the very tips of his fingers gently over the pure white mask that well hid the deformities of his face and he shook his head with dire melancholy and aroused anger like none had before. "Oh Christine," he spoke inwardly to himself, "How you play me so like a fool that perhaps I have doubted your prima donna status. Well, child, all games now end and it is time for you to see not with a child's eyes but with a woman's what you have so insisted on seeing since our first meeting."  
"How easily we are to forget our promises, Christine. And how foolish that boy is to think he shall have your heart and interfere with your career. He floats in your pond of success and you allow him to do so and even encourage him by agreeing to his fancy meals to show you off to the world as if he held your heart. Does he have your heart Christine?" Erik's voice was eerie and calm as it arose from his lips like a melodic tune of hypnotic means to take back to him what he felt he rightfully deserved....his singing bird. As he spoke Christine seemed forced back into that protective shell she often brandished to all and suddenly she felt regret upon not refusing Raoul for the sake of one night's relaxation. For now she dealt with a anger she couldn't have controlled even if she were the strongest person inwardly.  
"Erik......oh please Erik my decision was made in haste! Forgive me, angel, I couldn't refuse his pleas," yet as she finished speaking she was greeted with a silence that put immediate panic into her heart and gave her pale face the expression of terrible woe. With a silent sob she fell to her knees before the mirror and pressed her damp forehead to the cold glass as tears began to waterfall down her cheeks with a crystaline sparkle. She was afraid of losing her angel, her teacher. That much was for sure as she pleaded in her heart for his voice to once again reign in the air.  
"I am your angel, Christine. Lift your face and dry your eyes..........you have an engagement this night with a certain young man....." there came after that phrase a long pause that caused Christine to suddenly look up with a start to gaze at the mirror with a baffled look upon her face. ".....I am your angel....."  
Christine stood back to her slipper clad feet slowly while still intently gazing within the mirror with little suspicion that Erik was merely biding his time in stalling his angel. He wanted that silly fool Raoul to come back to Christine and question her on what kept her. He wanted Raoul to see him steal her away no matter how Christine's innocent heart may grow up from the mere sight of a man hidden behind a mask with the power of his voice the only calm she will then ever no.   
The clocks read 10:02, ten minutes after Raoul's departure, and there upon Christine's door finally came the impatient knock from that nobleman and the slow sliding of the mirror to open before the shocked eyes of Christine who remained statuesque in standing as the Phantom's whisper was soft enough to tame her fear and loud enough rouse Raoul's own into sight as he heard a strange voice leaking past the cracks of the door.  
"Come to me......Christine........angel....."  



End file.
